Coppa Titano, the final will be Tre Penne v Virtus. In the league, La Fiorita return to the top

The final of the Coppa Titano BKN301 will be Virtus v Tre Penne. That is the outcome after the second legs of the semi‑finals played last night. The first-leg wins for Bizzotto’s and Ceci’s sides proved decisive, earning them the chance to compete both for a European place and for a trophy to lift at the end of the season. Starting with the clash in Dogana, Folgore faced the toughest task: overturning the 3-0 defeat suffered against the Neroverdi two weeks earlier. Lepri’s team actually started very well and in the 19th minute Francesco Sartori scored a goal as beautiful as it was important: Enrico Golinucci spread play wide to the winger, who drove forward and, once he reached around 25 metres out, shot directly at goal, sending the ball into the top corner where Passaniti could not reach it. The goal lifted the Giallorossoneri and, in the meantime, the snow began to fall in Dogana, making life harder for both teams. In the second half Folgore tried again to create danger, but Passaniti and his team-mates were always alert. In added time Virtus came close to an equaliser through Pedrini, whose delicate touch went just wide. Despite the defeat, Luigi Bizzotto’s side could celebrate under the snow at the Ezio Conti in Dogana and seal a long‑awaited return to the final, their first since distant 2011 (on that occasion they lost to Juvenes-Dogana). Tre Penne, meanwhile, had few problems. With a two-goal cushion from the first leg, they managed to win the return fixture against Libertas as well, on the Acquaviva artificial pitch, by the same scoreline. Here too, heavy snowfall played its part, but it was from within the blizzard that the deadlock was broken in the second half (75’) by Luca Ceccaroli: after a corner for the Granata, Righini released the San Marino international winger, who galloped forward and, once in the box, cut inside onto his right foot and – snow aside – kept his cool to beat Matteo Zavoli and make it 1-0. Things had already turned sour for Libertas on the hour mark, when Diego Moretti was shown a second yellow card and left his team‑mates down to ten men. After taking the lead, Tre Penne added a second a few minutes later to close out the match – even if, after Ceccaroli’s goal, it was no longer really needed: another ball launched from around the halfway line, this time looking for Riccardo Pieri, who shielded the ball and, once in the area, fired powerfully inside the near post for 2-0. Ceci and his men are back in the final after the one lost in 2018 against La Fiorita and will be aiming to lift a trophy that has eluded them since 2017 (again in a final against the Gialloblù of Montegiardino). A vital win also for La Fiorita in the rearranged 16th matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301, postponed because of snow which, ironically, also fell in Domagnano for the match between Manfredini’s Gialloblù and Cailungo. After a first half that ended goalless, with both defences well marshalled by Elia Benedettini and Gianluca Vivan, La Fiorita began to push in the second period but the Rossovede backline continued to hold firm. The minutes ticked by and the pitch became ever whiter under the snow. But with five minutes remaining, Pancotti crossed into the area for Rinaldi, who ghosted between the Rossovede shirts and beat Benedettini for 1-0. That was enough for La Fiorita to celebrate and climb back into first place, once again overtaking Cosmos. Last but not least, on Saturday afternoon – weather permitting – there will be a top‑of‑the‑table showdown between Manfredini’s side and Nicola Berardi’s team. This is the picture from the Coppa Titano BKN301 semi‑finals and the rescheduled 16th matchday of the Campionato Sammarinese BKN301:  

---

---